It was a busy Thursday for wide receivers in the 2015 NFL Draft. The six receivers marked the highest total of first-round picks since six were selected in the 2009 NFL Draft. They all end up in interesting situations, with strong situations in front of them. Now it is time to figure out their fantasy football implications.
2015 NFL Draft results: Fantasy football fallout for first-round wide receivers
The 2015 NFL Draft saw six wide receivers selected in the first round. We break down the fantasy implications.
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Ugh. Not Oakland. The Raiders picking a potential top fantasy player is always followed by a sigh from owners everywhere. Oakland used the No. 4 pick to grab Cooper, giving Derek Carr a legitimate weapon to work with in the passing game.
Cooper was elite for Alabama in 2014, catching 124 passes for 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns. His college tape is just fun to watch. He dominated with the Crimson Tide.
While he's not the biggest or fastest receiver, Cooper's agility (6.71 in the 3-cone, 3.98 in the 20-yard shuttle) and technique make him an elite prospect. He's drawn comparisons to Marvin Harrison, Torry Holt and Roddy White during the draft buildup.
While Oakland is not anyone’s first choice to send a wide receiver of Cooper’s talent, there is potential with him working with Carr. Cooper played all over the field in college. He’s not quite the ideal mold of an X receiver, but he has the separation skills and the ability to win downfield in that role. He’ll have with huge PPR value in the NFL.
Carr struggled with accuracy as rookie. He didn’t have the best weapons or the best offense to work out of, though. He didn’t have much success throwing the deep ball, but he posted decent numbers on intermediate passes. Cooper will be a huge boost in this area.
Carr and Cooper probably aren’t going to be connecting for 50-yard bombs every game. Look for more work underneath for the rookie, helping him rack up the receptions. Early projections are shooting for 70 catches for Cooper in his first year. He’s in the WR3 range based on last year’s stats.
Cooper was one of the safest picks in the first round. His floor might be the highest of any player in dynasty drafts. I'd have no problem taking Cooper first overall. His ADP will fall somewhere among the top four picks with Todd Gurley, Kevin White and Melvin Gordon.
It didn't take long for the second wide receiver to go off the board. With Brandon Marshall gone, the Bears chose to add White with Alshon Jeffery to once again have a top tandem.
White is two years older than Cooper and doesn’t have the college production of the No. 4 pick. But he’s a bigger, faster receiver, standing in at 6’3 and bringing a 4.35 time in the 40. White’s straight-line speed with the ball will blow you away. He’s also a difference-maker in the red zone.
Say what you want about Jay Cutler, but he knows how to produce fantasy-relevant receivers. Adam Gase will bring more balance to Chicago's offense than it saw with Marc Trestman, but his work with Denver should excite Bears fans. Gase can utilize White's playmaking skills downfield.
Unfortunately for White, there are more mouths to feed in Chicago. Matt Forte, Alshon Jeffery and Martellus Bennett all take precedence. Eddie Royal will also see a share of the targets left over in the wake of Marshall's departure.
White’s big-play potential and red zone skills make him an intriguing fantasy option, especially for best ball leagues. There will be some weeks when he blows up. Redraft owners should consider him on the lower end of the WR3 tier.
As a dynasty owner, I’d look to grab White in the top four. The career arc of a running back might give the nod to White over someone like Melvin Gordon.
Miami is loading up on young wide receivers. Parker joins Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills on a youthful depth chart, with Greg Jennings as the veteran presence.
Parker missed the first seven games of his senior year at Louisville due to a broken foot. When he finally got back on the field, he took over, catching 43 passes for 855 yards and five touchdowns.
Parker is another tall receiver (6’3) with a great catch radius. His best qualities come out when the ball is in the air. He high points the football and catches just about everything that comes near him. On just 43 catches last year, Parker broke 15 tackles.
He isn’t a burner and he’s not the most physical wide receiver, but Parker’s game is well-rounded. As long as he isn’t asked to run block (probably his worst area), he should fit in well with Bill Lazor’s offense.
Landry and Stills have the upper hand with experience. After that, I’m not really sure they excel over Parker in any other areas. It’s another crowded depth chart, but Parker could move into a bigger role during 2015. Parker would be my ideal pick at 1.05 in dynasty drafts.
As a senior at USC, Agholor lined up as the slot receiver 53% of the time. Though that's a fairly high number for a collegiate receiver, the fact he played only slightly less often on the outside bodes well for his fit as an Eagle. Simply put, Jordan Matthews played 92% of his snaps from the slot last season, meaning both receivers can continue to produce from their given areas. As we know, Chip Kelly's offensive system allows for different players to lead the team in yards from week to week, and that should be no exception with the addition of Agholor. Look for him to settle as a quality WR4 with WR3 upside.
It appears the Ravens replaced Torrey Smith with, well, Torrey Smith 2.0. The 4.24 40-yard dash he ran at his Pro Day certainly turned some heads, but whether he flourishes in his first year with Marc Trestman is still up for debate. On one hand, Perriman will be playing with a QB who averaged 11.2 yards per completion last season. He should also be able to start ahead of Marlon Brown on the outside from Day 1. On the other hand, the Chicago Bears offense (led by Trestman) finished with the fourth-worst yards per completion in 2014 (9.6.) Still, there should be more than enough opportunities downfield for Perriman to solidify himself as a weekly WR3 (assuming his drop-rate improves.)
This offseason, the Colts addressed their offensive needs by signing both Andre Johnson and Frank Gore. That last sentence is as far as this paragraph should have gone. Of course, Ryan Grigson is still the Colts GM, meaning those two acquisitions weren't enough. And to be clear, it's not that Phillip Dorsett won't be a tremendous player. He certainly has that type of potential. In fact, his 10 TDs on only 67 targets would make even Randall Cobb proud. But when will he play? Indianapolis already runs the most 2TE sets throughout the league. Sprinkle in T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, and the aforementioned Johnson, and there just isn't any room for Dorsett in this particular offense. The Colts might be the pass-heaviest team in the league, but even so, Dorsett won't see the field enough to make an impact. Sorry, dynasty owners, but Dorsett is best served staying on the wire.
